A:
There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable
and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You
can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green
Guru's secret identity.

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Sunday - July 17, 2011

QUESTION:

I need to plant a fast growing windbreak near my lateral lines for a septic tank. We obviously can't have anything that would interfere with the laterals but I desperately need a North wind break. We are on a hill in eastern Kansas.

ANSWER:

I hope you have space to work with upwind from your laterals! First of all, let me reference a previous Mr Smarty Plants answer that has some great references for the “what, when, where, and why” of windbreaks. These cover the basic reasons for planting windbreaks, their design, and plant selection.

Now, you also noted that these will be close to your septic system. If you have enough space to plant them a reasonable distance away, then you will be just fine. I found discussions of root systems on Wikipedia and in a publication from Colorado State. They give that roots can extend 3-4 times the width of the drip line of a tree and can be near 7 feet in depth. That sounds uncomfortably close to where a lateral may be to me. Consider this in your design of your windbreak and have larger trees farther out and small trees or shrubs closer in and hopefully your design will be OK!

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